Hungry elephant eats PLASTIC rubbish as it rummages through trash dumped by tourists while searching for food in India
- The animal was searching for food among the piles of waste which had been discarded in West Bengal, India
- Pranab Das, who took the images, said he saw the elephant ingesting plastic after it was dumped by tourists
- He said he saw vans dumping the rubbish in the wild and has warned others about harming the animals
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This is the heartbreaking moment a hungry elephant searched for food in piles of plastic rubbish discarded by tourists.
The animal was snapped using its trunk to wade through the mound of waste which had been dumped in West Bengal, India.
The elephant also had rubbish resting on top of its head and back after it slung it over its shoulder with its trunk while rummaging for food.
A hungry elephant searched for food in piles of rubbish discarded by tourists in West Bengal, India
The endangered animals normally eat roots, grasses, fruit, and bark and the photos show it surrounded by vegetation.
But the elephant was clearly more attracted to the smell of the rotting waste which had been dumped in the wild.
Among the rubbish in the beautiful surroundings was a number of plastic containers, bottles and bags.
The elephant also had a mound of rubbish lying on its back as it was attracted by the smell of the litter
Pranab Das, who took the images, said tourists left the rubbish and has warned others to take care of the environment.
Pranab, a sports journalist who lives in the area, said he saw the elephant ingesting plastic.
He said: ‘I hope these photos encourage people to stop littering.
Pranab Das, who took the images, said tourists left the rubbish and has warned others to take care of the environment
‘The garbage was left behind by vans.
‘The elephant was snacking on plastic which was painful for me to see.’
Elephants have previously died after eating plastic, with the toxic waste harming their stomachs.